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Amb. Nduhungirehe said President Tshisekedi should not dare accuse others of genocide when the Congolese army and allied armed groups are killing Congolese Tutsis.

It has been nearly four years since renewed war broke out in eastern DRC, triggered by systematic attacks on Congolese Tutsis, especially in North and South Kivu provinces.

While addressing the 80th session of the UN General Assembly on September 24, 2025, President Tshisekedi told world leaders that they should acknowledge the existence of genocide taking place in the eastern part of his country.

He did not specify which community or group is being targeted, but insisted that what is happening in the east 'is not a normal war but a silent genocide.'

Reacting to his request , Minister Nduhungirehe took to X to slash Tshisekedi for accusing others of crimes being committed by his own forces.

'He has armed, supported, and financed the FDLR Rwandan genocidaires, and even integrated them into his own national army, the FARDC, alongside the Nyatura and other ethnic-based militias. He created an armed militia called 'Wazalendo’ to which he provided money, weapons, and ammunition,' he noted.

Amb. Nduhungirehe reminded the public that Tshisekedi turned a blind eye when this militia, together with the FDLR and Nyatura, set fire to more than 300 homes belonging to Congolese Tutsis in October 2023, in the village of Nturo, Masisi territory, North Kivu province.

'He remained silent when Wazalendo lynched, burned alive, and even cannibalized several of his own FARDC officers, for the simple 'crime' of being born Tutsi. He said nothing when videos circulated showing children armed by this same militia, with Wazalendo adults asking those children if they were ready 'to kill the Banyarwanda’ ' he said.

'He uttered no word when Wazalendo leaders gave the Banyamulenge and other Congolese Tutsis ten days to leave DRC territory and 'return home to Rwanda,' added Amb. Nduhungirehe.

Meanwhile, despite ongoing peace talks between the DRC government and the M23 rebel group in Qatar, FARDC has continued to launch heavy attacks — including air strikes, drones, and other heavy weapons — on areas controlled by M23.

For example, on September 19, 2025, M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka reported that FARDC launched airstrikes using Sukhoi-25 jets and CH-4 drones on highly populated areas such as Bibwe, Chysto, Hembe, and Nyange, killing many civilians.

Amb. Nduhungirehe questioned how President Tshisekedi could ignore such atrocities and still accuse others of genocide before the United Nations.

'And after all that, he dares to stand on the prestigious platform of the United Nations in New York to accuse others of genocide? A simple mirror would have sufficed!' he concluded.

Amb. Nduhungirehe said President Tshisekedi should not dare accuse others of genocide when the Congolese army and allied armed groups are killing Congolese Tutsis.

IGIHE

“Let us be clear: humanity’s fate cannot be left to an algorithm. Humans must always retain authority over life-and-death decisions,” he told an open debate of the Security Council on AI and international peace and security.

The Security Council and UN member states must ensure that military use of AI remains in full compliance with international law and the UN Charter. Human control and judgment must be preserved in every use of force, he said.

AI is no longer a distant horizon. It is here, transforming daily life, the information space, and the global economy at breathtaking speed. The question is not whether AI will influence international peace and security, but how the world will shape that influence, said Guterres.

Without guardrails, AI can be weaponized. AI-enabled cyberattacks can disrupt or destroy critical infrastructure in minutes. The ability to fabricate and manipulate audio and video threatens information integrity, fuels polarization, and can trigger diplomatic crises. And the massive energy and water demands of large-scale models, coupled with competition over critical minerals, are creating new drivers of tension, he warned.

Guterres said coherent global regulatory frameworks for AI must be in place.

Governments, platforms, media and civil society must cooperate to detect and deter AI-generated deception — from disinformation campaigns to deepfakes targeting peace processes, humanitarian access and elections, he said.

“We need transparency in the entire AI life cycle: rapid and verified attribution of information sources and their dissemination, and systemic safeguards to prevent AI systems from spreading disinformation and igniting violence,” he said.

There is also a need to close the AI capacity gap, said Guterres. “Technology can accelerate sustainable development, foster stability and peace. We must create space for all nations to shape our AI future.”

From nuclear arms control to aviation safety, the international community has risen to the challenge of technologies that could destabilize societies, by agreeing to rules, by building institutions, and by insisting on human dignity, he said. “The window is closing to shape AI — for peace, for justice, for humanity. We must act without delay.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday stressed the importance of ensuring human control of artificial intelligence (AI) over the use of force.

Xinhua

According to the National Crime Agency (NCA), NCA officers arrested a man in his 40s in West Sussex Tuesday evening on suspicion of “Computer Misuse Act offences.”

“He has been released on conditional bail,” an announcement added while providing no more details.

“Although this arrest is a positive step, the investigation into this incident is in its early stages and remains ongoing,” said Paul Foster, head of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit.

The cyberattack targeted Collins Aerospace, the service provider for the check-in and boarding systems. Airports in air hubs such as London, Brussels and Berlin reported delays and cancellations of flights after the attack over the weekend, which forced them to use manual check-in and boarding.

The empty departure hall of Brussels Airport is seen in Zaventem, Belgium, Feb. 13, 2025.

Xinhua

The race was a nail-biting contest, especially between Australia and France. As the French team—consisting of Bruno Armirail, Paul Seixas, Pavel Sivakov, Cédrine Kerbaol, Juliette Labous, and Maëva Squiban—crossed the line with a time of 54:35.71, they briefly held the hot seat but had to settle for silver. Despite holding the lead for the majority of the race, France could not hold off Australia’s final push. Switzerland, also battling hard throughout the race, secured third place with a time of 54:58.89.

Switzerland’s remarkable recovery

Switzerland’s Marlen Reusser showed exceptional resilience when an unexpected bike change left her temporarily behind the pack. Undeterred, Reusser rejoined her teammates and, with solid teamwork, helped Switzerland finish just 10 seconds behind France. The Swiss team’s recovery demonstrated their tenacity and ability to handle adversity under pressure.

Top times at the relay point

The race unfolded dynamically, with Switzerland setting the early pace, leading the field after the men’s trio finished their part. Italy briefly surged to the top, but France overtook them at the midway switchover, moving into the lead.

At that point, Switzerland remained in the top spot, holding a 20-second advantage. As the women riders took over, France put in the quickest women’s time of the day—12 seconds faster than anyone else and 28 seconds ahead of Australia. This fast-paced finish set up a dramatic showdown for the gold, with Australia ultimately securing victory by a narrow margin.

Amanda Spratt, reflecting on the intense final moments of the race, said, 'I knew from the cobbled climb on that it was just going to be like hell, just push through and push through. Brodie was so strong in that last part, so I knew I had to hold the wheel and that it was going to be close. Matt White, our director, was screaming at us to sprint, sprint, sprint.'

Teammate Michael Matthews added, 'It’s not often we get a chance to ride with other Aussies like this in a full Aussie event, so I think we had full focus for this after we won last year. Just being back with the team and mixing it with the girls in the last few days, and putting it together today was just the cherry on top of the cake.'

The Mixed Relay featured 15 teams, with fierce competition throughout the day. Germany, who lost the previous year’s title to Australia by less than a second, finished in 5th place with a time of 56:04.05, 1:33.58 behind the winners.

Meanwhile, Italy faded from second place at the midway point to finish fourth, with a time of 55:45.03. The battle for the top five spots was intense, with only seconds separating the teams.

Rwanda, with a team composed of Byukusenge Patrick, Nkundabera Eric, Uwiduhaye Mike, Ingabire Diane, Nirere Xaverine, and Nyirarukundo Claudette, put up a strong fight and finished in 11th place with a time of 1:03:08.97, 8:38.50 behind the winning Australian team. Their performance on home soil was a testament to their growing presence in international cycling.

2025 UCI mixed relay final results

1. Australia — 54:30.47

2. France — 54:35.71 (+5.24)

3. Switzerland — 54:40.47 (+10.00)

4. Italy — 55:45.03 (+1:14.56)

5. Germany — 56:04.05 (+1:33.58)

6. Spain — 56:25.99 (+1:55.52)

7. Belgium — 58:50.14 (+4:19.67)

8. Ukraine — 1:00:33.83 (+6:03.36)

9. China — 1:01:08.72 (+6:38.25)

10. Ethiopia — 1:02:22.60 (+7:52.13)

11. Rwanda — 1:03:08.97 (+8:38.50)

12. Mauritius — 1:03:28.23 (+8:57.76)

13. UCI World Cycling Centre — 1:03:34.14 (+9:03.67)

14. Uganda — 1:05:58.19 (+11:27.72)

15. Benin — 1:12:14.74 (+17:44.27)

Australia emerged victorious in the 2025 UCI Road World Championships, successfully defending their Mixed Relay Team Time Trial (TTT) title. The Australian team, featuring elite riders Michael Matthews, Luke Plapp, Jay Vine, Brodie Chapman, Amanda Spratt, and Felicity Wilson-Haffenden, completed the 41.8km course in 54:30.47, narrowly edging out France by just five seconds.

The race was a nail-biting contest, especially between Australia and France.

Switzerland, also battling hard throughout the race, secured third place with a time of 54:58.89.

Wycliffe Nyamasege

According to an RDF statement released on Wednesday, Sergeant Sadiki Emmanuel, a military driver, accidentally strayed across the Gasenyi—Nemba border and was apprehended by Burundian police. He is currently being held at Kirundo Police Station in Busoni commune, Butanyera Province.

The RDF described the event as an 'unfortunate common border incident' and assured the public that diplomatic channels will be used to facilitate the soldier’s return.

'RDF regrets this unfortunate common border incident and will undertake necessary diplomatic actions with the Government of Burundi to bring the soldier back home,' the statement read.

IGIHE

Speaking at a high-level meeting on R2P held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 23, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, stressed that unchecked hate speech in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is laying dangerous ground for mass violence.

'These exchanges are not merely academic, they are part of our collective responsibility to prevent genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity,' he said.

Nduhungirehe’s intervention comes amid escalating threats against Tutsi communities in eastern DRC, where armed groups, including the FDLR—formed by remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi—continue to operate with backing from Kinshasa. He said the current patterns of ethnic incitement bear troubling similarities to the build-up to the 1994 tragedy in Rwanda.

'Rwanda knows more than most the cost of inaction,' he warned. 'Yet in the Great Lakes region today, we see once again the rise of hate speech, identity-based violence and a fast-spreading genocide ideology—warning signs we cannot afford to ignore.'

The Rwandan minister underscored that while the R2P framework, adopted in 2005, tasked states with protecting their citizens and empowered the international community to intervene when they failed, implementation has fallen short.

He criticised the selective application of the doctrine, saying that ignoring structural injustices and 'buying into fabricated narratives that invert the roles of victims and perpetrators' undermines the UN’s moral authority.

'Sovereignty must be understood as a responsibility, not a shield for inaction,' he said. 'When states fail to protect their own populations, the legitimacy of international action should not be in question. Lives lost because of our hesitation in the name of sovereignty are lives betrayed by the very UN Charter we swore to uphold.'

Nduhungirehe urged the UN to shift from statements to concrete preventive measures, calling for early warning systems to translate into early action and for clear accountability mechanisms against incitement.

'Hate speech is not free speech when it lays the foundation for genocide,' he said, stressing that actors who fuel violence should face institutional consequences and lose international support.

While acknowledging progress such as the creation of the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and early warning tools, he insisted that gaps remain, particularly in the consistency and timeliness of responses.

'R2P will be judged not by the eloquence of our debate, but by whether it prevents the next mass atrocity. Rwanda, therefore, proposes concrete actions,' he said, adding that the doctrine must be rooted in the historical realities of the Great Lakes region, where land disputes, exclusion and historical injustice continue to drive conflict.

Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, stressed that unchecked hate speech in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is laying dangerous ground for mass violence.

IGIHE

The smartphones were distributed on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, following a training session on the “Byikorere” campaign (do it yourself), which aims to improve access to e-government services. This initiative was a collaborative effort between the Rwanda Education Assistance Project (REAP) and Rwamagana District.

Of the smartphones, 150 were distributed to five individuals from each village, including village leaders, community health workers, and selected committee members, while six smartphones were allocated to cell advisory council leaders.

This distribution is expected to enable these leaders to assist residents in accessing Irembo services directly, eliminating the need for lengthy travel to find Irembo agents.

Theoneste Sindambiwe, leader of Nyantoki Village in the Budahanda Cell of Musha Sector, expressed his gratitude for the donation, noting the previous challenges faced by his community. Residents had to either walk for two hours or pay for a motorcycle ride to reach the Irembo agent at the sector office.

“I will now go to my people and help them access services like paying for Mutuelle de Sante, Ejo Heza, and more,” Sindambiwe said. “It was a struggle to reach Irembo services, as we had to pay Frw 3,000 for a round trip, which was very inconvenient.”

Jean Paul Gahamanyi, a community health worker from Rutoma Village, also shared his experience: “I used to need certain services from Irembo, which was exhausting because getting to the agent involved a Frw 1,000 transport cost. Now, I can access many of these services on my own. The money I used to spend on transport will now go towards other needs, and I will be able to assist my fellow citizens as well.”

Emmanuel Muhawenimana, a resident of Rwabiyange Village in the Budahanda Cell, echoed similar sentiments. “There were many services we struggled to pay for due to our remote location. Now, I am excited about using the smartphone to access these services. It will help us save the money we used to spend traveling to find Irembo agents. Additionally, we will be able to get services more quickly.”

Darius Habamenshi, the Country Director of REAP, explained that during a visit by Members of Parliament to Musha Sector last year, community members raised concerns about the challenges they faced in accessing digital government services. This feedback led to the initiative to provide smartphones, aiming to simplify the process for residents in accessing these essential services.

Jeanne Umutoni, the Vice Mayor of Rwamagana District in charge of social welfare, highlighted that providing smartphones would significantly contribute to the development of the community. She encouraged recipients to assist others in accessing government services.

“This will increase productivity, as people will be able to request services without traveling to the Cell or Sector offices,” Umutoni explained. “They can request these services from their homes or fields, improving their livelihoods and preventing people from missing out on important services due to the burden of travel.”

Umutoni also emphasized the district is working with various partners to expand the program, and ensure that more citizens in other sectors benefit from smartphones and the “Byikorere” campaign.

A total of 156 local leaders from Musha Sector in Rwamagana District have received smartphones to help residents access vital digital services.

The recipients were enthusiastic about the potential benefits of using smartphones.

This distribution is expected to enable these leaders to assist residents in accessing Irembo services directly, eliminating the need for lengthy travel to find Irembo agents.

The smartphones were distributed on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.

Jeanne Umutoni, the Vice Mayor of Rwamagana District in charge of social welfare, highlighted that providing smartphones would significantly contribute to the development of the community.

IGIHE

Speaking in a televised address less than two hours before the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC)’s scheduled announcement of final results for the election, Chakwera thanked all Malawians for their support over the past five years.

In the last update on the official presidential results Monday, Mutharika had over two million votes against Chakwera’s over 700,000 votes.

“It’s well clear that my main rival, His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party, had already secured an insurmountable lead and is the presumptive winner of the presidential election,” said Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party.

“For this reason, a moment ago I called Professor Mutharika directly to congratulate him on his historic victory and to wish him well in his upcoming tenure as the seventh President of the Republic of Malawi,” he said.

He thanked his supporters, saying he would “forever be grateful for your trust in me and for your support of my candidacy,” and urged all Malawians to support Mutharika’s drive for national prosperity.

Chakwera also hailed the MEC for what he described as a commendable job in presiding over the general elections.

Malawi’s incumbent president Lazarus Chakwera on Wednesday conceded defeat in the Sept. 16 presidential election in which former president Peter Mutharika is leading by over one million votes.

Xinhua

Fabian Ndenzako, WHO representative to Botswana and the Southern African Development Community, made the remarks at the Fifth African Ministers of Health Session on Palliative Care, held as part of the eighth International African Palliative Care and Allied Services Conference from Tuesday to Friday in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana.

Ndenzako emphasized that Africa continues to bear the highest burden of life-threatening diseases while facing significant legal and logistical barriers to accessing essential pain-relief medications.

He commended the progress made by many governments in the region. “Many governments have included palliative care in their universal health coverage documents, strategies, and guidelines,” he said, also noting advances in training health professionals and supporting community and home-based care models.

Lawrence Ookeditse, Botswana’s acting minister of health, acknowledged the country’s strides, such as the launching of its National Hospice and Palliative Care Policy. However, he cited ongoing challenges, including political prioritization, financing, coverage, and commodity availability.

Ookeditse reiterated the government’s commitment to bolstering both community home-based care and palliative care. “Together we will advocate for stronger support, a higher level of investment, and better policies that prioritize the needs of our most vulnerable populations,” he said.

Xinhua

“I declare Yoweri Museveni Tibuhaburwa Kaguta, a duly nominated candidate in respect of the presidential elections 2026,” said EC Chairperson Simon Mugenyi Byabakama.

“The commission calls on all participants, their agents, aspirants, and the general public to uphold the values of peace, dignity, and mutual respect throughout the nomination process and mostly in the upcoming campaign period for the presidential candidates,” Byabakama added.

The ruling National Resistance Movement party in July endorsed Museveni, who has been in power for 39 years, as its sole presidential candidate and national chairman for the next five years.

Museveni, 81, accompanied by other senior party officials, thanked the commission for approving his candidacy. The president, seeking a seventh consecutive five-year term, said his priorities would include wealth creation programs, free education in government schools, road maintenance, improved health services, and tackling crime.

According to the commission, presidential campaigns will start on Sept. 29, with voting scheduled for Jan. 2, 2026.

Uganda’s Electoral Commission (EC) on Tuesday officially declared President Yoweri Museveni a candidate for the 2026 general elections after verifying his nomination documents at its headquarters in the capital, Kampala.

Xinhua